Follow these tips while shopping for office supplies

Pens, notebooks, printer cartridges, point of sale supplies, paper, barcode scanners – There are endless things that are required regularly in an office or commercial setup. Every business is unique, and so are the requirements, but the need for office supplies remains inevitable. While some of the things are pretty inexpensive, the overall cost per month can be huge. If you have been struggling with office costs, we have few tips below that will help in saving on your budget.

Don’t stick to one checklist

The use of office supplies and stationery is never uniform for all months of the year. For example, one month you may need to print more brochures, which may increase the printing costs and need for supplies. Instead of relying on a singular checklist, make one every month. Check what’s already in stock, and what you really need.

Set a budget

While you may not have complete control on use of certain supplies, it is always advisable to set a budget. This is more useful when you want to spend a limited amount on regular stationeries. If you have the time, check and verify the purchase orders in person, instead of relying on managers and employees alone.

Shop online

Many stores, such as 123ink.ca, have great discounts on office supplies, which can be quite handy for saving on retail costs. Online retailers don’t always stock products but procure the requirements as per each order. As such, they can save on retail expenses, which, in turn, translates into better prices. Ecommerce stores also have special coupons and codes for bulk purchases, which can reduce the costs further.

Reuse what’s possible

The refill of a pen is much cheaper than a new pen – As simple as that. There are many office supplies that can be refilled and reused, and those should be considered as the first option. Also, try and reduce the use of printers. In the world of digitization and automation, a lot of regular printing tasks can be minimized. If you are sending emails with attachment, always insist the reader to view the document instead of printing directly.

Finally, keep an inventory book at work all times. Any new issues or purchases should be noted in it, and if you have a manager for the facility, authorize him to place the orders. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to track undue use and orders, unless you have a proper system in place.